Meet My Family
by Nina Graph
Summary: Tsuna and Hibari have been together for more than a year: it's time for them to meet each other's families, right? But Hibari seems a little reticent about it... how will Giotto solve this? Sequel to Meet My Brother
1. Chapter 1

Hibari knew lots of things about Tsuna.

He knew the color of his eyes, a warm, changing caramel color he would never get tired of. His hair was sienna, gravity-defying yet soft, so very soft it seemed it was made for him to pass his fingers through. When he was angry, instead of glaring, he pouted so adorably Hibari wanted to kiss his worries away, but when he was furious, he wore such a calm look, it soothed Hibari's soul and reminded him that his brunette was carnivore in disguise.

He didn't like wearing tight clothes, much to his disappointment, but everything he wore fit him so well Hibari didn't mind; he had a vivid imagination. He didn't like vegetables, but he liked sushi, especially the one his black-haired friend's dad made. He liked all kinds of chocolate and candies, but he always shared them with his little (and older) siblings.

But ever since they had started going out, Hibari had gotten to know a lot more.

He blushed when he stared at him for too long. After they kissed, he'd look at him fondly for a moment before suddenly turning red and looking away. His hair stood still even when it was wet -after he discovered that, he also found out he liked to shower alone. He was a great cook, probably a trait inherited from his mother, and wore a frilly white apron with pink hearts while cooking -something Hibari really enjoyed finding out.

He was really lazy; he liked sleeping a lot, preferably with Hibari. He was shy to caress and touch him, but he did it with delicacy and love when he found the courage. He liked to cuddle, except when it was hot, in the summer. He had a soft spot in his neck that caused a pretty nice effect when kissed.

And he had also met Tsuna's family.

It had been the most traumatic experience of their relationship for the brunet, but Hibari had found easier than he had thought.

Nana was an understanding, cheerful woman who'd have never dared to complain against any of her children's desire, except when it had to do with having candy before lunch.

Lambo was a little sneaky brat who would be bitten to death as soon as he was able to put up a fight, but for now Hibari was happy with locking him up in the closet along with Giotto.

I-Pin and Fuuta were adopted, but at least they weren't as noisy as the other two -Hibari had been the slightest bit shocked when, one day, Fuuta had floated up to the ceiling making the furniture levitate with him and when I-Pin had knocked out a thief that had attempted to sneak into the house while they were having dinner, but he had shrugged it off when he was informed it was considered normal.

The father had been the most reticent to approve of their relationship. At first, he had thought it was a matter of gender, for which he started to dislike him, but when they had the feared 'man-to-man talk', which certainly proved Tsuna was the girl in their relationship, he changed his opinion of him.

Drastically.

"What are your intentions with my son? What are you planning to study? How do you plan to support him and your children in the future? Do you have a steady job at the moment? I won't have my son working himself out because of your negligence. Do you have any criminal records? Have you ever dated someone before?"

Fortunately, Nana had come to his rescue, smiling a devious smile it had made Iemitsu's opinion change suddenly and smile fearfully, giving his wholehearted blessing. Of course, after seeing their display of affection, he ended up approving earnestly.

* * *

"No"

Tsuna tilted his head to the side, puzzled by his raven's reaction.

It was Friday; Hibari was finishing his work of the week and setting up his weekend duties, while Tsuna was helping him by feeding him the cake he had made.

Hibari regretted a little snapping at his brunette like that, but he knew if he wasn't firm, Tsuna wouldn't change his mind. That's another thing he had discovered; he could be so stubborn…

"Huh? Why not?" the smaller one whined, placing the plate on the table and sitting on his lap. He wrapped his arms around the raven's neck, and performed his best pout and puppy eyes. "Please don't be mad at me, Hibari-san…" he whispered.

Oh, how manipulative he could be sometimes.

"Because no it's no, Tsunayoshi. We've had this conversation already, so drop it"

He tried to go back to his paperwork, but it was pretty hard with his angel's sad eyes nailed to him, his delicate and thin arms holding Hibari delicately, his soft breath tickling his neck, and his perfect thighs set firmly on his lap... okay, focus.

"But it's not fair, Hibari-san! You have already met my parents!"

That's the argument Tsuna used the most. Yes, Hibari already knew formality required them to meet each other's families to win their approval after they had made their relationship formal -and what was more formal than saving your boyfriend from a yakuza group and declaring your undying love for him afterwards?

Then again, when had he cared about formalities?

"Tsunayoshi, stop it"

That sounded a little harsher than he wanted, but Tsunayoshi didn't speak after that. He sat still, looking down for a couple of minutes. But then he smiled that beautiful smile that made everything around him pale and ugly, the smile that tasted like gods to Hibari when he kissed it, the one that made the brunette's eyes shine like liquid caramel under the sunlight.

"I'm sorry, Hibari-san. I understand"

* * *

They had been through a lot for the past year. The fact they had confessed to each other in such a dramatic scenario had made them all the more aware of the difficulties they'd have to go through together.

Tsuna had been to the hospital too many times for being taken as a hostage to get to Hibari, he knew the raven had enemies, but he could have never known they hated him so much just for a couple of detentions. Of course all his captors had ended up a lot worse than he had, but more than once the brunette had stopped his raven from taking their lives in the heated anger of the moment.

None of them had realized how popular they were before, either, being so lost into each other they didn't pay mind to anyone else. But now Hibari could see how many herbivores who abused of his caramel-eyed angel were, in fact, intending to gain a little of his attention, how all the looks turned towards him when he smiled, the way they seemed to look at him longingly.

On the other side, Tsuna found out most girls had a celebrity crush on the raven, and some of the boys too. His mysterious aura drew everyone in, intimidating yet attracting at the same time. He had seen girls and boys leaving indirect proves of their affection -love letters, chocolates -but he seemed to shrug them off -Tsuna was a little happy he was the only one who knew the prefect had a sweet tooth: everyone gave him plain chocolate.

It was a little hard, at first. Tsuna was still unsure, and Hibari was too possessive. But one look into each other's eyes had been enough to remind them both the belonged to no other; that the threads of their hearts were so tangled they couldn't be considered separated anymore.

But there had been other times, when the obstacles between their relationship had been a little more difficult to surpass.

One time, Byakuran, a student from Hijama two years older than them, had the nerve to come to Namimori and confess his love to Tsuna publicly. He had wrapped his arm around the brunette's waist and whispered into his ear, he had given him a rose and a kiss on the cheek. Never in his life had Tsuna seen Hibari so angry, as if a steel-blue fire was burning inside his eyes. The way he had beaten Byakuran had sent shivers down Tsuna's spine, not only because of the fearsome aura he emitted, but also for the loving way he had held him afterwards, as if apologizing for what the white-haired man had done.

For not being able to protect him

Another time, a student from Kokuyo, who had a creepy laughter, had attempted to 'possess Tsuna' by defeating Hibari in a fight. That sneaky man had used his Sakura sickness against him by subtly guiding him to the park, where he had weakened and fainted. It had been Tsuna who had come to his rescue, miraculously defeating Mukuro after an arduous fight and taking him to the hospital. Despite being unconscious, he had felt the brunette's warm tears on his face.

* * *

When he snapped out of his daydreaming, Hibari noticed he had finished his paperwork, and Tsuna had fallen asleep on his lap, resting his head on his shoulder.

Hibari wrapped his arms around him and caressed his back in circular motions. Byakuran and Mukuro hadn't given up on his Tsuna yet, his own fans hadn't given up on him, too. Despite all, they were still together and in love.

That's why Hibari felt nervous -not scared, of course -about the brunette meeting his family. They weren't the warm, kind, united family Tsuna supposed they were -in fact, they were the complete opposite. He had grown surrounded by constant fighting, bickering, weapons; living in his house was like a survival test. How could someone like Tsuna, so pure, kind and caring, manage to live together with them? Because they weren't only barbarians; they were so nosy he would have to stand them every day of his life. Hibari couldn't understand how Giotto was able to stand them every time he went to his house -which was every day, invited by his mother. Had he found himself in that situation, he would have left Alaude without a second thought.

Just like Tsuna would leave him.

* * *

In the year and two months they had been together, Tsuna had learned a lot about Hibari.

Of course, he knew of things like his tastes; he liked vanilla and raspberry ice-cream for dessert, after having a cheeseburger, and having a nap afterwards, preferably with Tsuna in his arms. He knew he hated paperwork and cleaning, things the brunette did for him just to feel he had lifted at least a small weight off his shoulders, just to see that thankful smile. He liked to kiss long and slow, something he didn't complain about, and had the habit of walking on him when he was wearing few articles of clothing, something he complained about.

But those weren't the things Tsuna valued the most.

The thing the treasured the most, his greatest pride, was that he had learned to read the raven like an open book. It had taken him time, yes, and he had a lot of help of his privileged intuition, but he could see now all the things he had missed at the beginning.

Hibari looked at him fondly every time their eyes met; it didn't show with a smile or sweet words, but simply the aura he emitted. When he wrapped his arms around him, he did it with so much delicacy Tsuna felt like the most prized treasure in the world. He enjoyed every second they were together; Tsuna knew by the light his eyes seemed to shine with. Every word of love would have sounded cold and lifeless to any outsider, but Tsuna knew how to read the signals; his tone, the gentleness in the other's eyes, he could see it so clearly he realized it was almost cheesy. But he knew Hibari was a cheesy person.

He had learned a lot about Hibari, he had learned the things that really mattered. But Hibari didn't have a hyper intuition, so reading the signals Tsuna emitted, as obvious as they were, was little harder for him.

There was where Tsuna's concerns resided.

It didn't matter how many times he said it, how openly he expressed his feelings, how tender and loving he was, it seemed his every show of affection crashed into a wall of obliviousness. Could he blame his raven for being so hard-headed? That was, in fact, something he loved about him, for some reason –how could you love someone so much you come to love his flaws too?

Hibari wasn't good with feelings, so Tsuna understood he couldn't tell the difference between a longing gaze and a stare. That's why he understood his reticence to meet his family; he wanted to be sure Tsuna would never leave him

And until he realized, Tsuna would wait.

_**RANT:**_

_**As I was writing this story, I realized only the introduction had taken me ten pages, so it was going to be TOO long for just one chapter. Also, the grammar check takes too long, and if kept writing, it'd take me a month. So I'm going to upload it in two or three. I'll take this chance to add two extra chapters I've been thinking of (cookies for the one who guesses what it'll be about).**_

_**As always, please tell me if you find any mistakes I could have missed, since English isn't my first language and blah, blah, blah.**_

_**Thanks to everyone who had commented and added Meet My Brother to their favorites! It really made my week :DD**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**December 27th **_

Alaude felt quite sympathetic towards Tsuna sometimes because he had the heart –or lack of it –to say 'no' to Giotto. Tsuna, however, didn't.

"Alaude, you have to support me in this!" the blond wailed, tugging at his arm. Tsuna looked helplessly at him, begging to keep quiet.

"It's none of our business" he answered nonchalantly, keeping his gaze glued to his book, knowing Tsuna would thank him later. Giotto mustered a glare towards him behind Tsuna's back –a rather scary one –and turned back to his brother with a pout on his face once again. Did anyone else know how manipulative Giotto could be? Alaude was sure it was a trait inherited from his mother.

"Please, Giotto-nii, don't insist…" the brunette pleaded, his heart clenching at the sight of tears in the corners of his brother's blue eyes.

Tsuna heavily sighed, something he did only when he was truly upset. Giotto's fake tears disappeared to be replaced with fond look. He sat next to Tsuna on the couch, flicking the television off. Alaude sat next to him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

For Hibari Shin and Hiyori, both their younger sons had gotten into their respective relationships one day after the other, but the truth was Alaude and Giotto had been going out for five years prior to their meeting, when they were fifteen. Who could blame them? Giotto loved and trusted his parents, but he still had his insecurities about his relationship; they were young and he wasn't sure about Alaude's feelings towards him –what if he was just toying with him? What if everything was false?

Two months? It had taken Alaude more than a year to make his way through his wall of insecurities.

As for Alaude, their parents were strict and extremely traditional. He had had to prove his worth as a son even before dating another man, what would his stiff, close-minded parents say when they discovered he was dating Giotto?

There had been tough timers between Alaude and him due to both their insecurities, times when they had almost split apart.

It had been in a fight, two years into their relationship and in the middle of one of their toughest arguments, that he had completely understood the depth of their affection. Giotto had been surrounded by enemies, weakened and practically defeated, when Alaude had appeared to his rescue. When he had sent Tsunayoshi to that fight against the Yakuza, it hadn't been out of a foolish impulse –he was the boss of one of the strongest vigilante group in Japan, some said the strongest person, after all. He had assumed Hibari and Tsuna would somewhat realize their feelings just by looking into each other's eyes for a second, just like it had happened with Alaude and him. But he could have never guessed they'd be _that_ hard headed.

The reason why they had made their relationship public, or at least one of the reasons, was so he didn't have to send Tsuna off into a fight that'd _hurt_ him, so he and Hibari would gain the courage to confess despite the adversities, but, then again, _he could have never guessed they were so hard-headed_.

But in the end, they had realized, they were together, and they loved each other, and they knew Tsuna already had the Hibari clan's approval, and vice versa. So neither Giotto not Alaude understood why the youngest Hibari didn't want his boyfriend to meet his family. Well, maybe Alaude had a clue.

"Tsuna-chan" Giotto began softly. "Why won't he let you meet his parents?"

The brunette sighed again, scratching the back of his head.

"Hibari-san is… I just have to be patient" he said. Giotto frowned at the answer.

Big mistake. The _biggest_ mistake one could take with a Hibari was to give them their time to get things straight, because they'd _always_ arrive to the wrong conclusions. The Hibari was a species which specimens acted based on pride, anger, instinct or jealousy, but rarely on their feelings, because they considered them to be a weakness.

The Sawada Giotto, fortunately, was a species that could easily draw those feelings out, although it was more prone to have feelings of insecurity than its brother species, the Sawada Tsunayoshi. The Sawada Tsunayoshi, however, relied _way too much_ on its partner's sincerity, which, in the case of the Hibari, could not be so good, especially at the beginning of a relationship.

Giotto didn't know what the problem was, but he knew as well as Alaude did that whatever was wrong with Hibari, it would end up in an inevitable fight that might derive into a break up, thus giving two broken-hearted fools as a result.

Apparently, the Sawada Giotto would have to teach the Sawada Tsunayoshi to be a little more _forceful_.

And for that, he had performed a foolproof master plan. He smirked.

Tsuna shuddered.

* * *

_**December 28th **_

To say Hibari hated December was an understatement. He doubted there was even a world that could quite describe the passion with which he hated it, how much he despised it, the anger and… and… _ugh_. Only when describing December did Hibari feel at loss of words.

First of all, the town's herbivores. Did they actually think he'd be more tolerant with them for the all the moronic celebrations that took place in the month? Did they think just for Christmas and New Year he'd understand they wanted to litter Namimori with their fireworks and gift wraps and decorations? Did they think it was an excuse to get drunk and make childish pranks and give him **more work**?

Apparently, they did.

Then, it was the festivities. The Christmas carols, people being unusually –and annoyingly –nice to him, the bright, shiny, _mismatching_ decorations that hung all over the town. Shiny reds, hideous greens and browns, flickering lights –every year he tried to prevent Kusakabe from allowing the neighborhood ladies to pull out their nineteenth century's overcharged knick-knacks, but he never seemed to have the heart to do so.

And last but not least, his family (he was starting to realize they were the source of most his complications).

One would think the Hibari clan was anti-social, _all of it_, and one would think right. They loved peace, silence, taking naps at ungodly hours and such. The problem was his family tended to interact with people who _didn't notice that_, be it for their lack of intelligence or their lack of care.

His sister's boyfriend, –a happy-go-lucky, insufferable blond who had a fetish for camouflage clothing and put the word 'Kora!' at the end of every sentence –for example. Someone had convinced him of the idea his parents liked to have company, since Lal didn't live in the household anymore and both their sons were brats, so every year for the last three years he had been bringing his old college gang with him. Amongst that gang was his cousin Fon, who with he got along fairly well, for a change.

One of Colonello's friends, Aria, had a daughter, Yuni, who _thankfully_ was rather quiet and didn't run around the house, very unlike _the friends she brought so she wouldn't feel alone_. Byakuran was one of them, but he trusted the albino's survival instinct not to show up in his house after the little incident they had had.

But wait, there was more. Viper, a freak friend of his sister too, brought along his own group of friends. Another six brainless fools with diverse personality complexes and violent tendencies. The worst part was that they always brought a green-haired, lunatic kid who wore an apple in the head with them. The one with multi-colored hair who continuously tried to hit on him was the one he liked the best, and he hated the guy _a lot_.

A sensei from another town, Dino Cavallone, who used to have a crush on him –cue shudder –and had taught him **only **_one thing or two _about fighting, was invited by his mother, and since he couldn't take two steps without ending up face-planted on the floor, he had to bring his assistant Romario along.

Hibari hated his life, his family, the herbivores…

All these thoughts flew out of the window when he felt a soft caress on his cheek that brought him back to reality. He looked down at the boy on his lap, who was watching him with curious eyes.

"Were you thinking in something unpleasant, Hibari-san? You were frowning all this time" Tsuna said, concerned. Hibari simply buried his head in the crook of the other's neck, since Hibird had taken a liking to snuggling into Tsuna's messy locks.

"Nothing at all" was the answer. Tsuna knew better than to question further.

They stayed like that for a while, Tsuna's slow breath and steady heartbeat lulling Hibari into sleep. He thanked the Sawada household was, for once, in silence…

"TSUNA!" someone yelled from outside.

Hibari snapped an eye open.

"I'll bite that herbivore to death" he said getting up, lifting Tsuna with one arm and holding a tonfa with the other.

"Hieee! H-Hibari-san!" the brunette squeaked. Ignoring his protests, he threw Tsuna over his shoulder and made strides towards the door. He kicked it open, revealing two of Tsuna's herbivore friends, Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato.

Making out.

Passionately.

Why had they called if they were so busy in the first place?

"Herbivores…" Hibari growled dangerously, making them snap apart. Gokudera turned beet red and started stuttering incoherencies, while Yamamoto smiled and waved as if nothing had happened, despite the rather obvious hickey he exhibited in his neck.

After a moment of awkward salutations between Gokudera and Tsuna, who had caught them going at it more than once and was almost used to it; and after the latter had prevented his own boyfriend from biting Yamamoto to death, since the other one had made a suggestive comment about how the other had put his hand rather near to the brunet's lower back, they got into the house.

Displayed on the kitchen's table were colorful envelopes, glitter, markers and glue, which miraculously Lambo hadn't managed to eat. Nana was busy next to the kitchen, getting ahead schedule with New Year's dinner and paying no attention to them –they practically lived there, after all.

No more than a few minutes later, Haru, Kyouko and Ryohei arrived. Until then the house had been silent –since the only people in there were sucking their respective lover's face and Nana had had the delicacy to go shopping –but then the chattering, laughter and _noise_ in general ensued. Hibari retreated to a corner, somewhat annoyed one of the few chances he had to spend with his brunet was spoiled by his annoying friends. Again. And people wondered why he was always in a bad mood…

Kyouko and Haru had organized a little New Year Cards Crafting session. It had begun in the Sasagawa household, but, as always, too many people had showed up, so, as always, Gokudera had blown everything up and the cards were burned. The present meeting was a Top Tight Secret, as Haru had called it.

Of course, it just _had_ to be the same day Hibari had planned to keep Tsuna to himself. Tch…

While he tried his best to console his raven, the brunet couldn't help but stare at Gokudera and Yamamoto. The silveretter seemed to be brushing the raven's hand too many times for it to be accidental, and their space bubbles seemed to have diminished their size, since they were so close. Yamamoto seemed happier yet quieter and calmer than usual –Tsuna didn't know how he managed. He wasn't as overly friendly with Gokudera as he usually was, but gentler… more like a gentleman.

Giotto's plan had worked wonderfully, it seemed. Tsuna smiled softly.

* * *

_**Weehh! I'm finished with the second chapter. Thank you all who commented and added this story to their favorites! It really makes me happy logging on my e-mail and seeing so many people are following this fic :) Once again, despite my efforts for making the grammar acceptable, some mistakes always escape from me, so please tell me if you see any :)**_

_**POLL TIME**_

_**An idea for another multi-chapter story has been on my mind lately, so let me ask you, do you like reading fairy tales/fantasy/supernatural stories? (1827, of course)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_The sun had settled upon the horizon, its fading light dying the sky and the town below an orange color. From the window, they could see the tall buildings and, further away, the small houses of the periphery disappearing in the upcoming darkness. But they couldn't move, or rather, they didn't want to, way too comfortable and lost in each other's warmth to even think about going out into the world's cold night._

_Every sound was distant. There was more traffic than usual outside, judging by all the honking and the drivers' shouts, but they didn't hear it. Some members of the prefect body walked up and down the hallways long with some teachers, talking laughing and making noise, but they didn't notice that either. _

_He had never hoped to see that day coming, the day in which he'd hold the brunet to his chest and refuse to let go. Even though he was asleep, a smile adorned his features, and his heart fluttered in his chest when his name escaped the other's mouth in a whisper. Tsuna was dreaming of him._

_His eyes traveled around his face, knowing that if Tsuna had been awake, he'd have looked away. His face was round and had a soft expression; his skin was smooth and peach-colored, his eyes were closed and had long eyelashes. Hibari was surprised when he discovered he knew all his features by heart; that they were imprinted in his memory by all the times he had looked at him unbeknownst to the other._

_His eyes wandered to Tsuna's lips. Soft, rosy, parted, _tempting_. _

_How would they taste?_

_Memories of the day before rushed to his mind suddenly, playing themselves like a fast-forwarded movie. Tsuna in the middle of that circle of delinquents, him holding him close and not letting go for the rest of the ride back home, Nana and Iemitsu demanding an explanation form their eldest son while he whispered sweet words into the brunette's ears, away from everyone else._

'_I love you, I always have, don't cry anymore'_

_It was Saturday, thus both the reception room and Tsuna were free. He had arrived to Tsuna's home early, catching the brunette still in a light slumber full of nightmares. He had taken him with him to Nami Middle, so they could follow their usual routine despite the day. No words about the previous day were exchanged, but, surprisingly enough, there wasn't any awkward tension between them. As if they had known their feelings all along._

_Perhaps they had._

_Hibari didn't have enough experience nor had seen enough soap-operas to know how he should initiate it, but he knew it was supposed to be special, to make them both feel special. He looked at Tsuna's lips again, full and pink, tempting. Maybe he should wait until a proper mood was settled –under the moonlight, or watching fireworks, or during a candle lit dinner. Maybe he should just let it happen naturally, follow the flow when the moment arrived. Maybe he should let Tsuna take the lead, since he was much keener on feelings than he was._

_A soft touch was enough to bring him back to the warmth of the reception room. The brunet was looking at him fondly, a smile grazing that beautiful mouth of his. His smaller hand grasped Hibari's, the other one brushing a strand of black hair away from his face. A wondering thumb caressed Hibari's lower lip._

_Without warning, both of them leaned in at the same time, to find each other's lips halfway through. He couldn't remember what he was thinking before that moment, or where he was, or who he was. There was only Tsuna and Tsuna's lips, shyly and lightly pressed against his own. _

_So very sudden and casual, yet filled with all the affection neither of them could express with words._

_They kissed again and again, each kiss growing deeper and longer that the last one. By night time, they unwillingly parted ways to return to their respective homes, grinning like fools –Hibari got some awkward glances –and brushing their fingers against their lips._

His eyes opened slowly, the bright sunlight filtrating through his partially drawn curtains. Making sure there wasn't anyone in the room, he allowed a small smile to make its way into his features. Today was December 31st, probably the worst day of the year, but Tsuna and Tsuna's lips had woken him up in a good mood.

It was eight in the morning, so he guessed his family was still asleep. He dressed in his usual uniform and had his breakfast, alone.

Anyone would've spotted the tight feeling in his chest as loneliness, but he dismissed it as the cold making its way through his bones. He picked up his jacket and left.

* * *

Both her sons had left when she woke up, at ten in the morning. Was it normal for a pair of teenage boys to leave home before noon on Sunday? She guessed so, for they were _her_ children.

The plates had been washed and left drying, the kitchen was as clean as if no one had used it. Hiyori smiled at that; she knew it was foolish, but she liked to believe they did it for her.

The door opening startled her for a moment. She turned around to see her husband smiling so lovingly at her it made her chest warm. It was a trait the three men shared, one she was rather proud of: their ability of making their respective lovers feel like the most valuable treasures.

A kiss, a hug. At noon, when he was more awake and alert, Shin's cold demeanor would return, but for now, he was the caring, protective raven she had fallen in love with so many years ago.

* * *

Tsuna shifted a little in his bed, still half asleep. He touched his right side, and noticed there was air instead of bed. He didn't move around so much in his sleep, how had he ended up on the edge of the bed? In his half-conscious state, he didn't give it much thought, and seeing it was five in the morning, he turned around to continue sleeping…

"Rise and shine, Tsu-chan!"

"HIEEE!" Tsuna rolled away from the person next to him, falling into the floor and bringing the other along. Giotto's heavy body fell on him, knocking the air out of his lungs for a moment. The blond got off him, grinning like an idiot, and Tsuna noticed a soft jingling. He lifted his left arm…

…to notice it was chained to Giotto's right arm.

"HIEEE! Giotto! What are you doing?" he yelled, tugging on the handcuffs' chains. Even though it was thin, he noticed it was made of some metal alloy, impossible to break. They were Alaude's.

The brunet mustered his best glare, which wasn't too frightening to be honest, and hovered above the snickering idiotic blond he called a brother.

"Giotto-nii…" he warned, grabbing the other's collar. Giotto's mocking smile was replaced with a knowing smirk, which didn't help to calm him down. "What's going on?"

"Well, today's December 31st, isn't it?" he asked slowly, standing up along with Tsuna. His brother nodded. "Well, I'm going to spend it at Alaude's house…"

_Oh, no_, Tsuna shivered, _oh, please, no…_

"So I thought Kyouya-chan would be happy to see you too!" he beamed. "Now, let's go take a shower together, like the old times!"

"At five am.? Wait, Giotto!"

Sometimes, Giotto's mind was horribly simplistic. Maybe it was an advantage, the fact that his plans didn't require much preparations or strategies, the fact his lover was a person who went straight to the point when he wanted something, although he could be the smartest man in the world if he wanted to.

But when it didn't come to the Vongola, when he wanted to achieve things _quickly_, he could get so downright _idiotic_.

Chaining himself to Tsuna to go to his house? As simple as that? Alaude couldn't even imagine where had Giotto gotten that idea from –it couldn't possibly be his fault for giving him a pair of handcuffs for, ahem, other purposes, right? Anyways, there were so many flaws about that plan he had choked on his words when he tried to explain them to his lover. What about their parents? Nana and Iemitsu would probably ask a lot of questions if they saw their children chained –which would eventually lead them to think _he_ was the culprit. And would they really go out in public like that?

Alaude winced when he saw the two brothers coming into the kitchen. He placed his mug on the table to take in Tsuna's appearance.

He had bags under his strangely eyes, his hair was messier that usual and damp with water. Giotto hopped right behind the brunet towards him, pecking him softly on the lips –he didn't seem to notice he had dragged his brother along, making him hit his knee against a chair.

Alaude smiled at his blond, but shuddered when he felt Tsuna's heavy glare on him.

"I honestly thought higher of you, Alaude-san" he said openly, in a low voice that made both Giotto and Alaude tremble in fear.

They were forced to leave the house when everyone else woke up at noon, in order to hide away from Nana, Iemitsu and the kids. For the rest of the day, the trio wondered around the city, drawing awkward glances towards them. Tsuna made sure his brother tripped a couple of times, bringing Alaude with him in every chance he got. Despite his efforts to relieve his stress, the time to return to Alaude's home came too fast. Before he could think up a good strategy, like biting Alaude to death to get the key, they were already walking down the way too short path path that lead to the Hibari's family doorstep.

* * *

His house felt so crumpled up he felt he couldn't breathe, despite it being so big. Outside in the garden it was freezing cold but empty, so even though the snow was getting through his clothes, Hibari had chosen that place to spend the rest of the night.

It was barely seven in the afternoon, however, almost everyone had showed up already, all of them almost at the same time. His foolish older brother's friends had shown up that year, each one for different reasons, but evidently Hiyori had managed to give them a place at their table with a cheerful smile on her face. Four of them had brought their younger siblings along, Tsuna's friends, he remembered, but not his. He had attempted to throw a tonfa at Gokudera Hayato's head behind his mother back when he had glared at him and mouthed something about staying away from Tsuna, but ended up hitting his brother G instead, who blamed Asari, thus starting a fight.

How he wished Tsuna was with him.

The noise inside was muffled by the sliding doors, but he heard the doorbell quite clearly. Sighing, he made his way inside, dodging flying silvery and plates and food and people.

He closed the door that linked the living room to the hall, and sighed in relief when the noise was muffled once again. Without even looking through the small window next to the door's frame to see who the visitant was, he unlocked the door.

* * *

"Giotto! Please!" Tsuna fruitlessly tugged on the chain again, making it chink, but Giotto remained in the same place. Alaude was purposefully avoiding his pleading gaze as he rang the bell.

He was about to jump on his brother and choke him with the chain when the door opened.

Seeing Hibari-san in his casual clothes was a rare sight, even for him; seeing him in his informal attire, as simple as his black jeans and dark sweater were, made the raven look more mysterious than when he was wearing his prefect uniform. Tsuna smiled fondly…

…until he realized it wasn't quite the right moment to be drooling at his boyfriend.

After the initial shock, Hibari glared at the three people in front of him. Giotto raised his arm to wave, making the chain jingle. Tsuna stared at his brother in disbelief as he pulled the key out of his back –had he held it with tape or what? Once he was freed, Alaude and Giotto hurried inside past the raven, who looked as if he was going to explode.

A feeling of guilt washed over him. He knew, deep inside, he had wanted to meet Hibari-san's family, otherwise, he'd have had managed to convince his brother or free himself easily, but his selfishness and curiosity had gotten the best of him. After everything his Hibari-san had done for him, he wasn't even able to grant him one single wish. Tears swelled up in the corners of his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Hibari-san" he whispered, looking down to hide his watery orbs. "I… I th-think I'll leave now…"

He turned around… but suddenly he found himself in a strong embrace, and soft breath tickling his neck.

"Don't go"

It was neither an order nor a plea; it was Hibari-san's monotone way of asking him to stay, and with the way his lips caressed his neck and his hands lightly touched the skin under his clothes, how could he refuse?

* * *

The living-room was as big as some of the main halls he had seen middle-age castles had in the movies; then again, the house seemed to be old, like the ones used in the past when families were bigger. It wasn't as traditional as he thought it would be; there was a fireplace in the back, which has a set of cushions and sofas spread around it on a red carpet. One of the walls had a huge picture window* that lead to the garden, with a table and chairs. Opposite to the fireplace was a television with more seats and a music player. Stairs lead to the upper floors and next to it were the doors that lead to the dining room and the kitchen.

Tsuna could barely take in those details, since the room was busting with people. He realized the furniture had been rearranged so there was more empty space in the middle, were everyone was standing and talking and shouting and throwing things –he didn't see it as weird, though, some his own family was prone to killing intends, especially his cousin and his grandfather (those people could've been part of the Mafia).

Hibari held him close by his waist; his coat and scarf had already been hung. The raven sent everyone who got too close a deadly glare, but hardly anyone seemed to mind, which pissed him off even more.

"Tsuna!"

Gokudera, Yamamoto and Ryohei pushed their way towards him, dodging flying objects. Tsuna smiled and waved at them, feeling Hibari's hold on him tighten.

"Sawada! Extremely glad to see you!" his white-haired friend shouted, his voice louder than everyone else's combined.

"It's good to see you, Tsuna!" Gokudera smiled, slapping Yamamoto's hand away from a place it shouldn't be _groping_. "I'm glad you could come!" He glared at the raven, who smirked and laid a kiss on Tsuna's forehead, making the silveret twitch.

Tsuna noticed his friends' brothers on the other side of the living-room, therefore deducing the reason they were all there. Before he could go over to greet them, Hibari dragged him away, taking the chance Ryohei had made a comment about Gokudera's hairstyle, hence starting a fight, Yamamoto acting as a mediator.

Hibari aimed for the stairs, praying his parents wouldn't notice his absence, while he tried to keep Tsuna from greeting the people he knew. Just when he was going to step up…

"Hibari Kyouya!" a deep, female voice called, making him growl dangerously. Lal had appeared around the corner, holding onto her boyfriend's hand. Kyouya gritted his teeth, grabbing Tsuna and trying to make a run for it, when Colonello, grabbed him roughly and pulled them back.

"Hey there, it's been a long time!" the blond said, smiling earnestly, when the pair noticed the brunet. Tsuna blushed slightly and looked down, shyly greeting them.

"Is that Tsuna?" Lal asked, pointing at him. Hibari cursed; his mother had told her, too.

"Ah… y-yes…" Tsuna stuttered. "Y-You are Hibari-san's sister, right? P-Pleased to meet you" he smiled shyly, extending his hand. Lal shook it a little too roughly, rising an eyebrow at his antics.

"He doesn't seem like a psychotic killer. Mammon owes me twenty!" Colonello announced, running towards a purple haired man, who was heatedly discussing with a blond-haired, smirking man. Hibari shot his sister a questioning look.

"We bet on your boyfriend. Nello and I said you'd get a dude. Mammon said it'd be a serial killer and Fon bet he'd look like a bunny. And Reborn said he'd be imaginary" she explained nonchalantly. She then looked at Tsuna carefully "Guess Fon was the closest" Tsuna shivered when he felt waves of rage emanating from the raven, which crashed into Lal's wall of indifference.

As Hibari shot a remark about his sister and her friends, thus starting a fight, he saw Colonello trotting towards another group. Six people had begun an argument that possibly involved money, judging by the few words that reached him. Among the group, he distinguished an all-too-familiar fedora hat with a chameleon calmly resting on its top, a yellow shirt and a green tie under a black suit. Tsuna felt his blood run cold in his veins, a familiar sense of dread and upcoming pain clutching his gut.

His ex-tutor, Reborn, hadn't noticed him yet, but it wouldn't be long until he could _smell_ his fear. He freed himself from Hibari's hold without him noticing, and made his way opposite Reborn's direction. He didn't notice another person going his way, therefore clashing into him.

"I'm so…"

"Watch your way, trash"

Tsuna froze, again, at the sound of that deep, frightening voice.

_Oh, no, please, no…_

Xanxus was standing before him in all his threatening glory. What the _hell_ his cousin was doing at a party in the Hibari household of all places, Tsuna didn't want to know –although the thought of having a pissed off Hibari-san, Xanxus and Reborn in the same building made him shake.

"Hm? You, brat, what are you doing here?"

"I-I, um, you know…" He knew, despite his violent ways, Xanxus was one to protect his family; Tsuna would never forget the day Alaude went to his birthday and announced his relationship with Giotto –he could've never guessed spoons and saucers could make such great weapons.

"VOOOI!" a white-haired man appeared from behind Xanxus, smashing a glass against his head. Tsuna's eyes widened, didn't that man know who Xanxus was!

"You bastard! You left me with that Cavallone idiot alone!" he yelled, although it was barely audible amongst the other people's noise, stomping his foot against the wooden floor. Tsuna expected to see a fountain of blood emanating from the man, but Xanxus did something much _scarier_ that decapitating him.

He grabbed Squalo by the waist, smirking, completely forgetting about Tsuna, and whispered into his ear:

"You trash, is that a way of claiming for attention?"

Squalo's blush and a bite to his neck was Tsuna's cue to run away.

* * *

Hibari bared his teeth at the man currently talking to him. Dino had been ranting about some uninteresting matters for the last _half an hour –_or so it seemed to him –, time when he had lost sight of his brunet. He internally cursed his sister for the nth time that minute, and decided a scold and a saucer flying to his head from his mother was more worth it than to keep listening to the other's rant.

"…me, I was really surprised. I never thought you'd go out with my little brother of all people!"

Pause.

Rewind.

'_His l__ittle brother'?_

"What?"

"Yeah, you know; Tsuna's always been so shy; I thought he wouldn't get a girlfriend till he was older…"

Hibari gave an exasperated huff.

"You're Tsunayoshi's older brother?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, we're not blood related, but Iemitsu's my godfather"

Obviously, the blond didn't understand the _awkwardness_ of the situation; he was dating the brother of the man who was crushing on him only two years ago. Then again, Dino had never noticed _he_ had noticed, so he thought Hibari had remained oblivious to his feelings. It was a relief when Dino got over the boy, despite the age difference was of five years only. He was just glad he had given up before Hibari could kill him.

The raven felt someone tugging at his shirt, and looked down to find Yuni.

"What?" he practically barked at her, making the girl frown.

"Hibari-san, is it true that you're dating Tsuna-nii?"

Just how many people at the party was Tsuna acquainted with?

"Yes" he growled, trying to shove her away. However, Yuni didn't even flinch.

"Byakuran-nii likes him too!" she beamed, smiling cheerfully as if it was a good thing her friend was being chased by so many guys. "Say, Hibari-san, do the three of you go out together?"

The thought of being close to the white-haired man made him grit his teeth.

"No. Tsunayoshi has no interest in Byakuran" he dragged every word menacingly, imprinting each one with venom. Again, Yuni ignored his anger –the raven was probably on his period, as Byakuran told her friend Iris every time she was in a bad mood.

"Tsuna-nii likes Byakuran-nii!" she protested. "They were about to kiss in the kitchen a moment ago!"

At her words, Hibari froze. When the hell had the man arrived to his house without him noticing? Was there a possibility that the pineapple-haired bastard was there too?

Ignoring his ex-sensei's rants and Yuni's protests, he pushed his way through the mass of crumpled people in search of his brunet.

* * *

_***Is picture window correct here? I searched on the Google translator how to say "ventanal" in English, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I meant a big window.**_

_**So this is a bit delayed (PUBLIC: Do you call almost a month A BIT DELAYED!) Ahem, in my defense... well, it isn't much of an excuse, really. As I wrote in my profile a while ago, as I was writing this chapter, it didn't go where I wanted it to, so I restarted from zero. I know I also said I'd upload two chapters on the same date, the last chapter and one of the two extra chapters, but I got a little excited and extended on this one. So, instead of uploading two twenty-pages chapters, I got you this :D *dodges tomato*. The last chapter is on its way, so I'll update as soon as I can.**_

_**Thanks for everyone who added this story to their favorites! **_

_**ON A SIDE NOTE: My little cousin, my granddaughter's sister, was born in June, and last week I traveled to Iguazú Falls, so I got TONS of inspiration for my next story (for which I'll get a bet reader -3-)**_


	4. Chapter 4

Tsuna didn't know whether he was lucky or not.

Seeing as the kitchen was the emptiest place of the house in sight, apart from the bathroom, he had headed there in hopes of avoiding Reborn.

Now he almost wished he had encountered his ex-tutor, for what he found in the kitchen was easily ten times worse.

"Kufufu, hello there, Tsunayoshi-kun…"

"Hey there, Tsu-chan!"

He had hoped they would learn their lesson after being beaten up by Hibari-san and him, but, apparently, they had taken it as a personal challenge _to get in his pants_. To make matters worse, Byakuran discovered Mukuro was _also_ after him after their own incident, so a very strange sort of rivalry had formed between them.

"What do you think are you doing?"

Despite his smile, Mukuro's creepy laughter was enough to make Tsuna shiver. Byakuran, who was mere inches away from kissing him –when had he gotten so close!? – cracked one of his eyes open to glare at the purple-haired boy.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm claiming my Tsu-chan –well, I _was_, before you decided to interrupt" the other responded, tightening his hold on the brunet's waist. Tsuna would have shoved him off and thrown him out of the nearest window, but the least thing he wanted to do was to cause a ruckus in Hibari-san's house.

Mukuro's eyes twitched. "'Claiming your Tsuna-chan'? You seem to have forgotten our previous _chat_, Byakuran" By the way he emphasized 'chat', Tsuna knew it must have been something closer to a 'fist chat'. "Tsunayoshi-kun has already been claimed by _me_"

Tsuna shivered at his tone, and held back a whine when Byakuran pulled away from him, his ever-present cheerful smile still on his lips. Both teenagers seemed to be searching for the closest weapon, which were the meat knives for Tsuna's dismay, when they heard a voice.

"Is everything alright here, gentlemen?"

The man leaning against the doorframe was tall. His raven hair was tied behind his back in a loose ponytail, his steel-blue eyes looking keenly and the three boys with a raised eyebrow.

Tsuna noticed how Mukuro and Byakuran had frozen, although the man's laid back attitude was everything but menacing. They carefully set the butter knives they had been holding on the counter, smiling nervously at the newcomer.

"Of course it is, Shin-san" Mukuro said, Tsuna looked at him disbelievingly when his voice faltered.

"Mukuro-kun and I were just talking with Tsuna-kun" Byakuran added, trembling slightly.

"Is that so" Shin said, evidently not buying a word. "The kitchen doesn't seem a good place to chat, however. Why don't you go back to the living room with everyone else?"

No more persuading was needed. Both boys sped out the place, after sending each other one last nasty glare.

Shin sighed, smile still in place, as he turned around to the trembling boy in the corner. By the messy mop of hair he had, he guessed he was Giotto's younger brother; Kyouya's partner.

"Are you okay?" he asked Tsuna, who looked up from the floor and blushed slightly.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine…" he answered softly, averting his eyes. Shin raised an eyebrow; his attitude didn't resemble the blonde's at all.

Shin had never had any expectations regarding his kid's choice in love, but after he had met Colonello and Giotto, he had expected the youngest one to make a similar choice; somebody completely opposite from them. _Well, in fact_, he thought, _he is quite Kyouya's opposite._

"E-Excuse me, sir…" the boy spoke softly, interrupting his thoughts. "C-Could it be that… y-you are Hibari-san's father?"

Shin chuckled. "The father of three of them"

At his statement, Tsuna blushed more. "O-Oh, right… I-I meant Kyouya-san's"

"In that case, yes I am" he laughed. "And you must be Sawada Tsunayoshi, if I heard right"

"A-Ah, yes! Pleased to meet you!" he replied, bowing deeply.

_Such a peculiar boy Kyouya got…_

"Tsunayoshi!"

Hibari pushed past Shin, earning a glance. He inspected the brunette, making sure there were no signs of _crumpled clothes_ or _swollen lips_. He then pulled Tsuna into a tight hold, keeping a wary eye on his father.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Y-Yes…" Tsuna whispered, embarrassed by the fact Hibari-san was holding him in front of his father. His already pink cheeks turned redder when the raven kissed his forehead.

"Kyouya" Shin finally said, apparently unfazed by his son's display of affection. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Introduce who?"

Hibari internally cursed his luck, tightening his hold on Tsuna, who looked up at him worriedly despite he had difficulty breathing. A blond-haired woman had entered the kitchen, an eyebrow raised and hard steel-blue eyes, which immediately softened when she noticed another person aside from her husband and son in the same room, and almost let a giggle out her lips seeing his son embracing said boy.

At that point, Tsuna thought his face would explode from the blood rushing to it. He thought it was best to try to get away from Hibari-san's possessive hold, but, of course, the raven didn't bulge. Tsuna almost whimpered.

"Oh! Hello…" Hiyori said softly, allowing herself a soft smile. She shot her son a significant –rather scary – look, which the other purposefully ignored.

"Um, hello…" Tsuna said, tearing from the other's arms. "U-um, we w-were not introduced y-yet, I think… M-My name's Sawada Tsunayoshi" the brunette bowed deeply. Hiyori almost let out a squeak.

"So you're Giotto-kun's little brother" she said, bowing also. "I'm Hibari Hiyori, and I guess you've met my husband Shin"

Tsuna nodded, a little more at ease, until he noticed his raven's tension from behind him. He guessed it had to do with his parents' presence, but now that the moment had arrived, he couldn't understand why Hibari-san was so nervous. His parents seemed to be good people.

"Oh, look at the time!" just when Hioyori spoke did Tsuna realize silence had ensued. "People must be hungry. Kyouya, did you set the table as I told you?" she asked, receiving a nod for an answer. "Good! Let's get everyone to the dining room then"

Hiyori left with her husband close behind, and Tsuna noticed Hibari letting out a soft sigh of relief. He turned around and gave him a sincere smile, seeing it had been quite a tense moment for him. The raven wrapped his arms around Tsuna's waist.

"It was better than I had expected" he admitted.

"What were you so nervous about anyway, Hibari-san?"

He decided he'd leave that question unanswered.

* * *

His parents seemed to be in a better mood than usual that night, for what Hibari was thankful. His mother hadn't started yelling at him or throwing things for not telling her about Tsuna earlier. His father was a lot harder to enrage, but if a single disrespectful answer towards his mother had left his moth, he'd have been in trouble. At least they hadn't made a scene.

Not in front of Tsuna, anyway.

"Hibari Kyouya"

His mother's voice was surprisingly deep for a female, and surprisingly threatening for a mother, too. It was in those moments, when Hiyori gave off a killer aura ten times worse than his, that he took notice of how _muscled_ the woman was.

"When were you going to tell me that you were dating someone?" she hissed.

"Never"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK BACK, YOUNG MAN!" Hibari mentally sighed. In a reflex, from the sleeves of her blouse, Hiyori drew her silver _tessen_, which showed red spikes on their edges.

Hibari knew his mother drew her weapons at the minimum provocation, a trait he himself had inherited. Scary enough, his father didn't _need_ weapons; his hands were enough.

Hibari refrained from drawing his own tonfas at the sight of Shin's warning glance. At a call of one of the guest's –Shin's mother, to be exact –Hiyori fumed and set her iron fans aside, directing one last glare at her son.

"This is not over"

When she left the kitchen, Hibari couldn't help but sigh in relief at Tsuna's absence. He had decided it; they would get married when Hibari finished college and move to a faraway country, change their names and start a new life away from his psychotic family. He almost, _almost_ felt bad for Lal, Colonello, Alaude and Giotto, since Hiyori's giddiness and fangirl-ism would be directed only towards them, but…

"She acts like that because she's hurt"

His father's tone gave him the shivers. He had been the one to teach him the values of discipline in an indeed military disciplined way. Hibari held a deep respect for his father. That was why the reprimanding and concerned tint to his voice surprised him.

"You were just like that, too. Towards Tsunayoshi" he continued. His steel-blue eyes were set on his son, not showing anger, but a deeper emotion Hibari could never decipher every time his father and mother showed it. "Your mother and you are very similar"

"That's not true"

"Don't you trust us, Kyouya?"

The question caught him by surprise. Hibari couldn't recall a single time their parents had cared about what he thought about them. Contrary to what happened in most families, the third son had been the one to be ignored the most in his family, and that was why he was the strongest and most determined of the three.

Hiyori had spent her life spoiling her only daughter, and Shin had concentrated on training his oldest son. That left Hibari to care of himself, to arrive at night and have dinner in the loneliness of his room, to spend family Sundays patrolling the town, to know nothing about feelings, to fall in love with the most loving and caring person in the world, and not to know how to show his love for him.

All he had known his entire life from his parents had been violence, and occasional conversation with Alaude and a few jokes with Lal.

And of course, they hadn't been accused of introducing their respective couples late.

"No. I don't trust you in this matter"

A flicker of pain showed in the older man's eyes for a second, before he turned around and left to follow his wife.

* * *

The head of the Hibari clan, an old and very sharp woman, had settled herself next to him on the table to start a small chat. She had met Giotto a few months before on a very rare coincidental visit, since she lived in a far district, and had felt curiosity so as to who could Kyouya's lover –Tsuna had blushed at the word –could be.

From the way she spoke, she was very fond of her youngest grandson. Tsuna was surprised to find out of stories about Hibari-san, about how well he used to get along with his deceased grandfather and how he considered Hibari Nanko-baa-san to be his mother. The brunet was surprised, pleasantly so, that a Hibari could be so chatty.

"You know, Shin was always a very lonely kid, since his father and I had to work all day long." At this point, Tsuna's interest perked up even more. He could finally hear about Hibari-san's parents! "It was such a surprise when she brought Hiyori home. She had also grown up rather lonely and was a little violent at times, but her eyes were so soft when she looked at Shin. And Shin looked like he was ready to stop a bullet for her…"

"Hibari-san definitely has the best of both" Tsuna mused out loud. He blushed when the words escaped his mouth, earning a loud laugh from the woman. Inwardly, he was pleased to come in good terms with a person Hibari-san respected and loved so much.

"Ah, poor Kyouya, being the youngest and all, he didn't get much attention, you know? He used to call me every day and chat, you know? When I got too old to travel. Now he seems… _busier_, I guess" she grinned. "But he still calls me every time he can. That boy, he was sad with the death of my husband, God bless him. I'm glad he got to fall for someone like you"

Tsuna blushed heavily at the last statement, and changed topic towards his own family. Nanko had perked up at the mention of his grandfather, Timoteo, and confessed she had been the one to encourage him to settle his own company… and maybe she had been the one to teach him a few 'mafioso ways', as she called them, in their youth.

When he started speaking about his positively demonic home-tutor, Nanko jumped from her seat, not even supporting herself with her walking stick, towards Reborn. Tsuna almost squeaked in fear when she made the man trip and soak his white shirt with wine. Nanko had accused him for not watching and hit him with her cane, making Tsuna almost crack up with laughter.

At that same moment, Hiyori walked into the dining room, where chatter, fights and flying objects abounded. She apologized to Reborn and sent Nanko an amused look, but, for someone so… Hibari-experienced as Tsuna, she seemed to be distressed about something, despite her atittude. And knowing that that family didn't feel distress unless the situation _really_ called for it, he felt worried.

"Hiyori-san?" he called.

"Hm? Yes, Tsunayoshi-kun?" she asked, smiling. But Nanko seemed to notice the fakeness in it, and was about to ask her, when Tsuna interrupted.

"Would you like to go outside with me?"

That admittedly caught Nanko's interest, and Hiyori's too. The latter was too surprised to feel joy by her future son-in-law's request, and the former raised an eyebrow. Tsuna's meaningful look told her not to interfere, and she did just that. If Tsuna wanted to talk to her, she wouldn't reply. Besides, she wasn't particularly well-known for her tact.

Hiyori and Tsuna grabbed their coats and went out. The warmth of the house in contrast with the outside's coldness left Tsuna frozen for a second, before he started the walk along a path that leaded to a small gazebo in the back, barely visible in the darkness.

They walked in silence. Tsuna didn't find it uncomfortable; he understood Hiyori-san was lost in her own musings. His intuition told him it had something to do with her son, and he understood. In this particular family, it was a delicate issue.

When they got to the gazebo, they were surprised to find a figure already seated on the wooden bench. Shin had been staring at the sky until he had seen them arrive. The three of them sat, Tsuna in the middle, in silence, under the wide beautiful blue night.

It was Hiyori who spoke first.

"What do you think of our son, Tsunayoshi?"

Shin directed his wife an undecipherable glance, while Tsuna thought of what to answer. Why was she asking? He highly doubted it was to start a casual conversation, for the serious tone and Shin's tension. Was it to discover the nature of Hiabri-san's and his relationship? Was it the start of an interrogation? The questions flowed through Tsuna's mind, and, somehow, found himself answering without thinking.

"He's a lot like Shin-san and Hiyori-san"

At the unusual dumbstruck looks he received, which surprised and amused him a little, he decided to formulate.

"Nanko-san told me stories…" Shin stiffened. "_Good_ stories about Shin-san and Hiyori-san… about how they met each other"

At the lack of response, he continued.

"Nanko-baa-san told me how Hiyori-san was little violent and how Shin-san was lonely and didn't talk a lot. And she also told me how you changed when they met each other, how your eyes softened and felt the need to protect each other.

"Hibari-san is like that, too. He doesn't talk much, and proves his love towards me by protecting me, not by smiling or nice words. But I can tell, for the way his eyes shine." At this point, both adults were listening intently to him, despite how corny it felt for Tsuna to spill his feelings out. He hadn't even had the courage to tell Kyouko and Haru when they had asked, and he didn't even know _why_ he was doing it. He just had the feeling it was what his audience needed to hear.

"Nanko-san told me Hibari-san had felt… lonely when brought up, because he was the youngest one. But I think Hibari-san just had problem with sensing feelings from an early age...? I think Hiyori-san and Shin-san didn't put any expectations towards Hibari-san because they had two other children, and he felt he was being abandoned. But, maybe, Hibari-san didn't see the love and affection he was receiving, because you have a particular way of showing it.

"Truth is, Hibari-san has the ability to love greatly, to protect what he hold dear and to stand up for what he believes in… and I wanted to meet the people who made him into the person I love the most"

For a long time, no words were spoken. Tsuna stood up and left silently when he saw tears forming in Hiyori's eyes, and left Shin and his loving arms to hold her.

* * *

He was doomed.

He was _more_ than doomed.

Hibari Kyouya felt utter dread clenching his chest, making him unable to breath.

It was too late when he saw Tsuna and his mother making their way outside. Kyouya could clearly picture the situation in his head: his mother losing her head for some innocent stupidity the slipped Tsuna's plump lovely lips and throwing a log at him, spitting foam from her mouth and growling like a savage. Well, maybe he was exaggerating, but the truth was the woman would manage to put up a threatening enough situation to scare the brunette away.

It was the end.

And that bastard Dino just wouldn't _shut up_.

" …and then I fell from the stairs. Haha, it was quite unexpected, really, because Romario was right there with me. Now that I think about it, you've never been to Italy, right? You should come over to my place sometime!"

Kyouya was positively sure the man hadn't quite gotten over his crush.

"No" he hissed.

"Awww, but Kyouya…!"

And Dino pinched his cheek.

Hibari snapped.

He drew his tonfas menacingly. Before Dino or Romario could react, he hit the blond in the abdomen, knocking the air out of him. Before the other could recover, he hit again, throwing him across the room and effectively making him land in the middle of the dessert table –luckily, the pudding and cakes softened his fall.

"Dino-nii?"

Kyouya stilled for a moment. There, in the doorway, Tsuna stood, his caramel shiny eyes widened at the sight of his older brother covered in cream. He then turned his sight to the raven, dumbfounded. It was enough for Hibari to stride away from the room, cursing under his breath.

* * *

The real reason why he hadn't wanted Tsuna to meet his parents was nonexistent. He knew, despite his psychotic progenitors, that the brunet would love him.

All that time, he had been afraid that Tsuna saw his defects under a different light. That he would become aware of his violent ways, of his coldness, of his lack of sensitivity. Because it was easy to love Tsuna, with all his flaws and virtues, but Hibari knew it was impossible for Tsuna to do the same.

The front door opened, revealing the object of his adoration. In his own mind, Hibari couldn't label him something as common as 'boyfriend'.

Before the brunet could speak, he interrupted.

"I know. You don't have to say it"

He didn't realize, since his back was turned towards Tsuna that the brunet's eyes had watered at his cold voice.

"I scared you a lot. It's understandable" he continued, unaware of the other's nearing steps. "This was one of the reasons I didn't want you to come. I'm a hard person to be with"

Tsuna stopped. He couldn't…

"By meeting my family, I thought you would see me under another light, since their aggressiveness has rubbed off on me through the years" never in his life had the raven been so honest, but he felt he needed to excuse himself in Tsuna's eyes, even knowing he'd be rejected. "I have shown you the side of me I wanted to hide… so if you leave now, I won't…"

"You're such a drama queen"

Hibari stopped mid-sentence, too surprised at the brunet's words to feel offended. But everything washed away suddenly when he saw tears flowing freely from the other's warm, lovely, deep, beautiful, bright eyes. He made no move to approach him.

"Because, seriously, sometimes Dino needs a good punch" Tsuna sobbed, shaking. "And… and I don't care if you're violent and cold and a psycho and whatever other ridiculous thing you think you are. I love you, and I don't how what else I can do to prove it"

"Tsu…"

"Let me finish!" Hibari almost saw Nana's dark side emerging from the boy, and decided, for his safety, to keep silent. "I talked to your parents before, and let me tell you, you are right to believe they have rubbed off on you…"

He wrapped his arms around the raven's neck tightly, bringing their foreheads together. Only rarely was he the one to initiate contact, but he knew Hibari-san was more of a physical person. They looked at each other in the eyes.

"They are wonderful, but slow when it comes to feelings. That's why, maybe, you didn't realize they loved you so much…

"Nanko-san told me that she was glad you had found someone like me. Everybody keeps saying that, but _I'm_ the one grateful, the one lucky for meeting such a marvelous, intelligent, caring, brave, honest, protective and amazing person…"

Hibari wrapped his own arms around his waist, too, holding onto and listening intently to every word he said. He was beginning to see a tiny, tiny light of hope at the end of his dark tunnel.

"Why can't you see how amazing you are?" It came out as a gentle whisper, but the brunette's next words were the ones that finished him completely.

"You are the person who has stolen my heart, and now I can't live without you"

"_**I love you**__"_

Something clicked inside Hibari's mind. It was as if a thousand lights had suddenly been lit above him, revealing the person he was holding against his broad chest.

He knew a lot about that person: he had lovely warm eyes and soft sienna locks. When angry, he pouted adorably, and when furious, he wore a calm look that soothed Hibari's soul and reminded him he would protect that person, no matter if he was a carnivore in disguise.

Said person disliked wearing tight clothes, but everything fit him perfectly, and Hibari had a vivid imagination. He didn't like vegetable, but he liked the sushi made by his friend, and also he liked sweets, which he shared with his younger siblings.

Through their time together, Hibari had discovered that person was shy to look at him and kiss, that his touch was gentle and loving, that he was lazy and that he liked to cuddle.

Long ago, Hibari had discovered he loved that person, and always would no matter what.

That night, he discovered Tsuna loved him back, and always would no matter what.

Never a kiss had felt so good. Never a kiss had been so loving and sweet, so passionate and mind-numbing as the one shared by the two. Never had they felt so itching for closeness, for intimacy, for each other. Never had they carved for another person so much, or never had they been so sure their hearts were fulfilled finally.

* * *

"Hands to the North of the Equator!" Giotto snarled, being immediately silenced by Reborn's free hand, since the other one was holding a camera.

"Do you want them to hear you?" he hissed. Quite the crowd had formed behind the picture window, from which they could all see with detail the increasingly heating kiss the teenagers were sharing.

Aria ushered both Byakuran and Uni somewhere far from the spectacle, holding a bloody tissue to her nose. Mukuro was fuming incoherencies, while his brother laughed at him openly. Ryouhei's mouth was being held by a very nervous Yamamoto, who was watching worriedly as Gokudera's face changed colors. Xanxus was indecisive between breaking the glass and detaching the raven's tongue from his cousin's or laughing and taking pictures. Nanko was looking at everyone disapprovingly, while Shin and Hiyori were feeding each other ice-cream while sitting on the couch.

When Hibari licked Tsuna behind the ear and sneaked a hand underneath the other's clothes, making him moan, they decided it was time to draw the curtains and let the couple have their privacy.

_**Well, finally, the last chapter of the story! I wrote the first 300 words a month ago, and finished the other 11 pages in four hours just today. This is the chapter I liked writing the most, and definitely the most tooth-rotting-sweet yet. Look forward to the next two special chapters, and thanks to all those who faved, reviewed and followed this story! It really means a lot.**_

_**Edit: Some grammatical corrections :3 I'll get a beta for my next story, I promise :D**_


	5. Chapter 5: 8059

_**WARNING: perversion and swearing ahead. **_

"Are you mental?"

Yes, Yamamoto had thought about that possibility numerous times, and deduced it wouldn't, indeed, be strange. He looked at his brother, Asari, with an unusually resigned expression on his face.

"Maybe… but what other choice do I have? I've tried everything"

And he wasn't lying when he said that.

At first, he had resorted to the two people who knew him best, his older siblings Bianchi and G. The red haired man, as he was as romantic as a rock and as experienced as one in women, told him to simply go to the point and tell him in the face. As if he hadn't tried that already –he had ended up with a black eye for confessing in front of a crowd. Bianchi, after smacking her brother up the head, had told him to be more _romantic_ about it. He had ended up with a black eye and his mouth stuffed with rose petals.

He had then asked Tsuna; he had supposed the brunet would have experience dating difficult people, if the brunet's own lover was of any proof. Turned out, he had a hardly clear idea of how he had made Hibari fall in love with him, and Yamamoto preferred not to resort to a gang fight for a confession. Hibari had suggested to threat and hit him until he accepted, but Yamamoto refused to hurt the.

His next choice had been Kyouko and Haru, who claimed to know about romance more than any of his friends –he seriously doubted reading teen magazines and watching soap operas counted as experience though.

They had crossed out 'direct confession' from their 'Utterly Romantic List to Get Gokudera to Like Yamamoto', as well as all expensive gifts and trips abroad, since he couldn't afford it. The homemade chocolate had resulted in disaster, since the only thing he could cook to save his life was sushi, and the bento he had prepared had ended up in the trashcan. The romantic dinner, even though Gokudera had given him a chance, had ended up in disaster when they encountered his sister and her boyfriend in the restaurant, which derived into a visit to the medic due to stomach sickness. The concert and cinema invitation, and well as the hot springs', had been blatantly refused, too. In the end, Haru and Kyouko had patted him on the back and told him to go straight up and tell him.

After that, in an overdrive of utter naivety, he had asked Mukuro and his brother, Daemon. They also had arrived to the same conclusion as everyone else, when Yamamoto turned green from seeing their 'love persuasion items'.

He had asked Ryouhei and his brother, Knuckles, and they had suggested a boxing competition against all the guys in the boxing club to prove his love –Kyouko had squeaked at the romanticism of the idea, wondering why it hadn't occurred to her. He had ended up missing a teeth and another refusal.

That time, though, Gekudera had hesitated, and that had given Yamamoto a slight bit of hope.

But he had run out of ideas.

Therefore, he was going to resort to the last person he could think of.

* * *

Tsuna flinched when he saw Yamamoto's black eye when he stepped into the field, followed by the cheers of his fanatics. He turned to see Gokudera-kun staring intently at the raven.

It was Yamamoto's turn to bat for the last time that match and the crowd received him with claps, more cheers and screams from the girls. Despite the noise, he remained concentrated on the pitcher, a blonde with an annoying smug smirk. Tsuna noticed Gokudera was sending him a deadly glare.

The blonde shot, a strong ball that could have broken through a wall. But Yamamoto, almost nonchalantly, swinged the bat confidently and hit, sending the ball away… away… away…

"IT'S A HOME RUN!"

The watchers stood up, cheering and laughing and crying tears of joy. The team lifted Yamamoto up, cheering him on.

Maybe that's why he missed the unusual proud, soft, _loving_ smile Gekudera sent his way.

Tsuna sighed.

* * *

The traits Yamamoto appreciated the most about Giotto was both his capabilities as the leader of the greatest vigilante group in town and his ability not to let the darkness of his world stain his good ways. Giotto was a strong person, but he was a little innocent and overly honest when it didn't come to the Vongola.

Maybe it'd have been a better idea to ask him before Daemon.

"Good evening!" the blonde exclaimed, entering the sushi shop and sitting next to the bar, where Yamamoto was cleaning up. The raven grinned a grin that could match the other's in brightness.

"Hey there Giotto-san… "

"What did you want to talk about?"

"It's about Gokudera…"

"Ah, yes, I've heard you've been having problems getting his attention…"

"More like being outright rejected" the younger one sighed.

Giotto smiled kindly. If there was anyone who understood the hardships of pursuing a stubborn love was him –because Alaude had told him all the crap he had gone through to get his attention, not because he had experienced it himself.

"If you don't give up, he'll accept you so you'll just stop bothering him, right?"

"That's not exactly what I'm aiming for…"

"Well… the only thing I can think of…"

Suddenly, Giotto straightened up in his seat, a knowing smile brightening his features.

Yamamoto couldn't help but feel an upcoming catastrophe.

* * *

It was a nice day at Nami-chuu. The sun was shining upon, Hibird's subordinates were singing, and Yamamoto Takeshi was running down the hallway escaping from a potential serial killer.

Wait, what?

"Hn? Hibari-san?"

Tsuna had the second period free, since his Chemistry teacher had fallen sick, so he was spending the time doing his favorite activity: sleeping on Hibari-san's lap. Well, he had been, until a screeching scream had erupted from their classroom… two floors underneath.

"YAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOTOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Well, even Tsuna had noticed the daggers Gokudera had been sending Yamamoto during their first period. He was almost sure he had seen a black cloud hovering above his friend, but had shrugged it off as a bad night's sleep or something like that.

"Maybe I should go and prevent a murder…" Tsuna said worriedly, standing up from his position on his raven's lap…

…Until he felt a hot breath behind his ear, which travelled down to his neck.

"I think they can solve it on their own…" Hibari whispered, smirking at the dazed expression on the brunet's face. He subtly pulled him down to him, settling him on his lap and wrapping his arms around him.

"Mhm… I agree…" Tsuna sighed, lying his head against the other's shoulder.

* * *

He had arrived late that morning, being spared by Hibari thanks to Tsuna giving him the puppy-eyes. He had been too nervous to sleep last night, thinking about what had Giotto done regarding Gokudera, since he had refused to tell him. Most of his musings weren't promising at all.

And how right he had been.

At first, he had scratched his back in search of something _stabbing_ him, only to turn around to find a pair of lovely green eyes trying to disintegrate him with only the look they were sending his way.

When the bell rang, it was his cue to run for his life.

"YAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOTOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

That velvety, calming voice had never sounded so scary.

What had Giotto done? Was there _anything_ that could put Gokudera on such a rampage? Yamamoto went through all the possibilities in his mind, as he reached the stairs leading outside. Maybe the blonde had painted Gokudera's apartment pink. Maybe he had replaced all his dynamite sticks with love letters. Maybe he had made a huge poster that said 'GOKUDERA HAYATO, YAMAMOTO TAKESHI LOVES YOU, PLEASE BEAR HIS BABIES' and hung it outside his apartment. Maybe…

Something grabbed him by his shirt, making him trip and bring Gokudera along. They rolled over the floor, Yamamoto trying to evade the other's punches to no avail. A wall stopped their struggling, making them jump away from each other. Yamamoto thought of assisting the other up, until he remembered his physical integrity would be in danger if he did so.

"You…" Gokudera hissed, looking at him in the eye. He took a deep breath, trying to convey his words, making a great effort not to just growl and glare and _punch the fucker in the face_. "Yamamoto" he spat, finally. "Do you know what I found at my doorstep this morning?"

"A… doormat?" the raven answered hopefully.

"No, Yamamoto" the other retorted dangerously, slowly taking a step forward. "I found a sculpture. A chocolate sculpture of _you_. _**Naked**_"

Oh, Giotto…

"A sculpture which all my neighbors saw!"

"I…"

"They called the police!" Gokudera snapped again. "The landlord asked for an explanation! And the card saying 'Please eat me up' certainly didn't help!"

"I can expla…!"

"I DON'T WANT AN EXPLANATION!" he sighed, and mentally counted to ten. "I don't know what you're thinking, but this fucking game of yours has reached its limit…"

"Gokudera, it's not…"

"I don't give a shit! Just leave me alone!"

He turned around to leave, but before he could get too far, Yamamoto grabbed him by the wrist. Gokudera struggled to get free, not even looking at the other.

"Gokudera, please listen to me. It's not a game; I swear… would you stop struggling! I like you, I really like you, damn it!" Yamamoto started yelling, holding onto Gokudera's wrist tighter, to no avail. The silverette twisted his arm, setting himself free, and strided away.

* * *

"Judging by your face, I'm guessing Hayato didn't like my present"

Yamamoto lifted his forehead from the counter to send a blank look at the blonde in front of him. His usual cheerful-self had retreated to a dark corner of his mind to sulk in peace, leaving his body like an empty shell. But he didn't push the blame on Giotto. He had asked for it, after all.

"He thought I just wanted to have sex with him" he answered in a dull voice.

"And you don't?"

"… not _only_…"

"Oh, you dirty-minded little…"

"Giotto, please don't"

There was silence between them, only interrupted by the sound of Tsuyoshi making sushi in the shop's kitchen.

Giotto was looking at the boy in front of him with pity and understanding. Maybe he had overdone it that time, but he also knew it was necessary. He knew there would be no merit in Yamamoto conquering Gokudera with someone else's attitude.

"Maybe you should just be honest with him…"

"As if I hadn't tried that!"

Giotto noticed, at that moment, Tsuyoshi's activity had stopped and was now listening intently.

"Were you really honest when you told him?"

"I told him I liked him! What else could I've said?"

"Hn…"

Apparently, Yamamoto wouldn't realize for himself, as Giotto had intended to. He was going to give up on the silverette, most likely, and it would make them _both_ miserable. But, right now, he had run out of ideas.

Looking at Tsuyoshi from the corner of his eye, he noticed the man was deep in thought. Maybe it was time for him to step back…?

"I'm sorry, Yamamoto, but I don't know what else you could do… look, it's nighttime already. Why don't you sleep on it and see if you can come up with something?"

"Whatever…"

* * *

He stepped into his son's room. The curtains weren't drawn; the moonlight was freely pouring inside. He sighed when he saw Takeshi lying on his bed, looking up to the ceiling with a blank expression. Silently, Tsuyoshi made his way towards him, and sat beside him.

"Ah… hey, pops, I didn't hear you coming in" he said, sitting up. He managed to pull a fake smile, but his dad knew better.

"Hey" he said. "I heard you talking with Giotto down there. What did he do?"

It was Yamamoto's turn to sigh. He lied down again, frowning.

"I asked him to think up a way to ask Gokudera out for me, and, well… it didn't turn out as expected" he explained. "I really don't know what else I can do…"

They sighed at the same time. Tsuyoshi leaned against the wall behind them, next to the bed, so did Takeshi. The sun hadn't begun to rise yet, but they could tell it was well past midnight.

"You could have asked me" the oldest one said, finally. Yamamoto cringed at the tone of his dad's voice, but sighed in relief when he laughed.

"It's just… I thought your methods would be a little old-fashioned" he admitted.

"Maybe you're right, but my old-fashioned methods conquered your mom's heart"

Yamamoto's eyes widened at that. His father rarely talked about his mother, and only had a few pictures of her around the house. He barely remembered Chihiro, her blonde hair and warm honey eyes that always seemed to be smiling. He remembered she never got mad or upset, not even when she was diagnosed with that terminal, genetical disease. Not even when he and his father cried next to her deathbed.

"You never told me how you did it" Yamamoto reminded.

"Ah, she was a wild one in our high school days. Her temper was, at least, you know. She was beautiful, smart and strong, and, of course, I wasn't the only one that had fallen for her"

_Sounds a little like Gokudera_, Yamamoto thought.

"I confessed to her many times. I gave her presents, took her out to dinner, I even wrote 'I love you' with spray paint on the school's lockers… Hibari Shin gave me two weeks of extra homework after that, hehe"

"And she still rejected you?" his son asked, incredulous.

"Well, yes. So, evidently, as desperate as I was, one day I walked up to her and asked her what I could do to make her notice me. She told me to just be honest."

"What did she mean by that?" Yamamoto jumped, recognizing the same advise his friends had given him, "I mean, that's what everyone keeps telling me, but I'm being honest with him! I keep telling him that I like him!"

"'Anyone can say I love you', she told me" Tsuyoshi answered, chuckling slightly at his son's sudden outburst. "Anyone can walk up to someone and say 'Hey, I like you', but it took me courage and time to tell her how I _really_ felt"

"And what did you tell her?"

Tsuyoshi's expression changed. His eyes averted Yamamoto and stared through the window, towards the clear night sky. He seemed to be thinking, as if remembering the times when his wife was alive.

"I told her that I would make her happy; that I would give my life for her…"

"… _I'll always be true to you. I'll always listen to you, and respect you, and think of you and love you like a woman so wonderful deserves, and even if you reject me now, remember that I'll always be here for you, because you're the only person I'll ever want"_

_He was out of breath. His stomach and lungs were clutching due to the nerves and at Chihiro's lack of response. _

_At that moment, he felt like the most idiotic man in the world; spilling his feelings to her like that, like a castaway holding onto a rock in the middle of the sea. He felt heat rushing up his face, and almost turned around to leave with the little dignity he had left, but a little spark of hope inside him kept him glued to the floor._

_After a while, the girl let out a laugh –a heavenly, musical laugh –and stood up from her sit in the empty classroom. _

"_Was it so hard?" she asked, amused. "It took you a long time, Tsuyoshi-kun"_

_She kissed him lightly on the lips, sweetly and delicately, and, for Tsuyoshi, that was the first kiss of many others._

"I… I still don't get it…" Yamamoto confessed. Tsuyoshi chuckled again, scratching the back of his head.

"I think… the best way to put it is 'there's more to love than love'" he explained. "Maybe you should sleep on it. Anyways, good night, son. I hope I was of help"

With that, the man left the room, leaving Yamamoto with his thoughts.

* * *

It was snowing outside, the first snow of the year. He looked at the park beneath his apartment's windows; for once, there were no kids playing around, it was too cold even for a snowball fight.

Gokudera sipped his chocolate and returned to the book he had been reading. The heater was at its maximum and he was seated on the couch wrapped in a blanket, warm and cozy. For once, he wasn't thinking of Tsuna or homework or his psycho sister or Yamamoto.

He definitely wasn't thinking of Yamamoto, or the baseball game that had been suspended due to the snow, therefore leaving him with no excuse for meeting the raven, or the fact that he had picked a random novel to stop thinking about him. Nope, not at all…

The bell rang; startling him and making him jump off the sofa and fall on the floor. He rubbed his sore bum and grabbed his keys, getting up and cursing whoever was at the other side of the door. He opened, and saw the one person he totally _wasn´t_ thinking about.

"Gokudera…"

Yamamoto scratched the back of his head. He wasn't carrying flowers or chocolates or cards, which worried Gokudera, because that's always what the baseball freak did, and if he didn't it meant he had given up on him, which was good, so he shouldn't have been worried in the first place, then why was he worried? Maybe he should ask Yamamoto and stop staring like a retard. Yes, that was a good idea.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I… I'd like to talk. Would you come outside with me?" the raven asked nervously. Gokudera felt even more worried at that; the freak always showed so much confidence, even when he was confessing his feelings. What was bothering him now?

It's not like he cared, anyways, he totally didn't care.

"No way in hell! It's fucking freezing out there!"

"Gokudera, please…" he begged, giving such a pleading, kicked-puppy look it was almost cu…

"WHATEVER!" he shouted, grabbing the first coat he found and locking the door to his apartment, not sparing a look to the other boy.

* * *

It was awkward, and the fact that it was freezing cold made him all the more annoyed. He had picked the first jacket he had found and the melted snow was filtrating through the thin fabric. Suddenly, warmth enveloped him; Yamamoto had taken off his leather coat and wrapped it around his shoulders. Gokudera looked at him, surprised both at his stern expression and his actions. He hadn't dared ask where they were heading, but he wanted to know. He wanted to know what was going through the raven's head.

They went past the park, the school, the mall and the train station. They were in the outskirts of the town, walking so slowly he didn't even feel tired, so disturbingly comfortable in the other's clothes. It smelt of green tea, deodorant and something akin to humid soil after the rain, just like Yamamoto. He inhaled it discreetly.

They stopped suddenly in front of iron gates that lead to a stone path, snaking between stone figures and lapidaries: the cemetery.

What a weird place for a date.

"D-Don't think strange things…" Yamamoto asked, seeing his disturbed face. "Could you put up with me for a while more?"

He could only nod.

They walked along the main path, which branched in many directions so as to lead the visitors towards their loved ones' respective tombs. Strangely, neither of the boys felt scared, despite the silence. Peace reigned upon the place, illuminated by the snow that seemed to glow.

Gokudera couldn't understand the other's actions, nor did he know why he hadn't protested yet, or why he hadn't shrugged Yamamoto's sweet-smelling jacket off, or why he had agreed to leave his apartment in the first place.

* * *

They arrived to their destination, but his mind was completely elsewhere. He was thinking back to his childhood days, when he was eleven years old and only a few minutes from batting for the first time in the minor baseball league. Never in his life had he been more nervous; his legs had been shaky and his hands sweaty.

His father was amongst the crowd, but Yamamoto couldn't see him amongst the other parents. He could clearly see the pitcher's feral smirk, though. He had motives to feel scared; the guy had been was two years his senior and twice his size, he was certain the bat would split in two if it were to merely touch the ball thrown by the giant, which was unlikely.

It all happened so fast, though. The moment the guy pitched, amongst the sea of people, he spotted a little white head. Curious, he took a glance at the owner of such a head color: a boy more or less his age, with eyes green and deep like the sea and an encouraging smile so bright and sincere it felt like it had extended a long finger and touched his racing heart.

He scored a home run that day, and went to the bleachers in search of the white-haired boy, to no avail.

He had met the boy, some years later, but hadn't realized at first. He was a new foreigner student, a bad-tempered guy with a harsh personality, and had instantly felt attracted to him, even though the feelings weren't mutual. And seeing the other's intelligence, his devotion for those he loved, his strength… his feelings had developed into something deeper.

"What's this, baseball nut?"

Gokudera sounded a little frightened, and he couldn't blame him.

"Ah… um… d-don't be scared, yeah? It's… It's not some kind of creepy joke, I promise!"

The lapidary they had stopped in front of was gray, as all the others, with burning incense at both sides and a bouquet of white flowers in front. The only peculiarity was the name craved in the stone:

_**Yamamoto Chihiro**_

"Why the hell did you bring me here?" Gokudera demanded.

"I… I came here to confess…"

"Again?!"

"No! I mean, this time for sure!"

"What the fuck, baseball idiot? I'm leaving…!"

"Wait!" Before Gokudera could turn around, Yamamoto grabbed his arm, softly enough so as not to hurt him. "It's not easy for me either, Gokudera, but if you give me this last chance, I promise I'll give up and never bother you again" he blurted out.

The last words caused an uneasy feeling to swirl in Gokudera's chest, but shrugged it off as the cold getting to him. Unconsciously holding onto Yamamoto's jacket, he frowned, trying not to let his nervousness show.

"Whatever, be quick. I'm freezing"

Yamamoto sighed, relieved. He looked at the lapidary and crouched in front of it, tracing his mother's name with his finger.

"I… I really liked you from the first time we met" he started. "I felt attracted to you, because you were handsome, smart and loyal to us, your friends, although you'd never admit it"

Gokudera remembered the day when Tsuna had introduced them, and how much of a jackass he had been. He frowned, remembering all the things they had been through: the fights, school, weekends together, and he realized… Yamamoto had always been there too.

He wondered if he remembered that day when they were children, in that baseball game.

"I liked you, at the beginning. It was a crush. I thought of you, I tried to get close to you; I tried to get you to accept me. Nothing I did ever worked; it even seemed like I was hurting you with my attempts. But I was convinced that, if I kept trying, you'd come to accept me. I was sure that only I could give you the happiness you deserved"

_The hell? Is he on crack or something?_ was what Gokudera wanted to tell himself. But, in reality, he was listening to the raven's every word; he couldn't help but feel a tiny ray of hope illuminate the mist that had once settled around Yamamoto's words.

_Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he's not playing with me. Maybe it isn't just a crush. Maybe I wasn't just a game to him. Maybe…_

"But some time ago, I had a talk with my father –maybe he should've been the first person I asked for advice. He told me of how he met my mother, and he made me reconsider some things…

"Up to that point, I had always thought of how it'd be to go out with you. I thought we'd spend time together, I thought I'd tell you how much I loved you, all things normal couples do… but then I started thinking of other things that I had never thought about.

"I started thinking of how happy I felt every time you smiled. Of how much I missed you when you skipped school. Of how much my chest hurt when your eyes suddenly turned melancholic when you spoke of your mother. Of how at peace you looked when you played the piano. Of how satisfied I felt when you called my name… and I felt scared of losing all that."

Yamamoto stood up and looked at him. His amber eyes looked brighter than ever, more determined than Gokudera had ever seen them.

"I realized that I want you to be happy… even if it's not with me" he took a step closer, making Gokudera stiffen. "Even if you hate me and never want to see me again… I vow to protect you and make you happy, and love you for the rest of my life"

Gokudera had never kissed anyone. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't a Casanova who could get any girl he wanted, he had never gone out with anyone, nor had he wanted to. He had never bothered himself with questions of how his first kiss would feel like, if he'd be able to do it correctly.

And right now, with his lips moving in sync with Yamamoto's, while the other's tongue explored his mouth as if memorizing its every crevice, while a pair of strong arms embraced him so warmly he felt he'd melt, while his hands clutched the fabric of the other's shirt, none of those doubts seemed to cloud his mind.

"_I vow to protect you and make you happy, and love you for the rest of my life"_

Blushing so much he felt dizzy, he rested his forehead against Yamamoto's shoulder, allowing himself to breath in his scent.

"_Who's that?"_

_The group of girls crowding around him turned their heads to the other crowd in the classroom. As them, they were squeaking and giggling over the guy Gokudera had pointed at. _

"_He's Yamamoto Takeshi, the star of the baseball club"_

_Star? So the kid who he had seen debuting in that match all those years ago had made it that far. He remembered smiling at him just before that home run; he thought he had been the one to give the kid the courage he needed. Gokudera wondered if he still remembered him…_

_Yamamoto cracked a joke, making the girls surrounding him blush._

_He felt a small painful prodding in his chest. Probably not._

"_H-Hey, Gokudera-kun"_

_Tsuna shyly called his from the other side of the classroom. He promptly ignored his fan club and reached his friend._

"_Good morning, Tsuna!" he beamed._

"_Morning" the other answered. "Gokudera-kun… do you remember that guy over there?" he asked, pointing at Yamamoto._

"_Hn, no, what about him?"_

"_He was playing in that match we saw once, do you remember? The first time you came to Japan" Tsuna said. "He scored a home run… you talked about him for days before returning home!" _

"_Erm… no, sorry" he said, seemingly uninterested._

"_Hey, Tsuna!"_

_The raven had managed to get rid of his crowd, and was now approaching them. The girls were waving at him and were still giggling. Gokudera frowned._

_The raven stopped when he saw him, and his expression changed, as if he was surprised. But then it turned into a ten-million-grand smile, so bright even the girls at the back could see it._

"_Um, hey… you must be new around here. What's your name?"_

So he hits on guys, too? _Gokudera found himself thinking. _

"…_None of your business!"_

Yamamoto tightened his hold around him, burying his face in his silver locks, as if reassuring him. And Gokudera held him, too, kissing his lips once, twice, three times, as he let one lonely tear roll down his face.

* * *

"Hah! I knew it'd work!"

"G-Giotto! Keep your voice down!"

Hibari suppressed a growl, as he tried to remind Tsuna of his existence by holding his waist tighter. Sadly, the brunette had eyes only for the two herbivores – who were breaking the rules by showing their affection in a public place, by the way.

Giotto was jumping in his hiding place behind a lapidary –Tsuna kind of almost fainted when they entered the cemetery –holding Alaude's hand. G rolled his eyes.

"Why the fuck did you call me anyways, Giotto? To see my little brother making out with another guy?" he said bitterly.

"Aren't you kind of proud of them?" Asari answered, trying to hold his boyfriend's hand, but retreating when the other attempted to bite him.

"Whatever… Reborn, what the hell are you doing with that camera?"

Reborn, with a dazzled Bianchi holding onto his arm, just smirked.

"Research"

"Pervert"

* * *

_**Omake**_

"I honestly fail to see the use of it" he said, bored. Tsuna only smiled at him, softly kissing his cheek.

"I don't really use it for anything. It's just to pass time. Sometimes, you can find really interesting things!" he explained. "Here, let me show you"

He sat on Hibari's lap in front of the computer. He typed the address on the browser, and clicked the first result: **YouTube, Broadcast yourself**. The page shown itself, and Tsuna typed in the name of the video: _Nami-chuu's cultural festival_. This picked the prefect's interest. Tsuna clicked again on the first result, and let the video load for a few seconds before he hit "play".

It was a video taken with a camera. It showed various images of the different stand and attractions the students had made, and at the bottom of the screen, subtitles explained how they were made. Hibari suppressed a smirk, Tsuna noticed, when the cameraman showed some members of the Disciplinary Committee patrolling.

When the video ended, and seeing Hibari was still interested, Tsuna took a look at the suggestions.

_Nami-chuu's cultural festival 2009_

_Namimori's summer festival 2012_

_Nami-chuu's Disciplinary Committee in action!_

_Nami-chuu's Disciplinary Committee Cahirman – New Year's Party_

"Hey, what's that?" Hibari asked, pointing at the last link. Shrugging, Tsuna clicked, and waited until the video, quite short, loaded. He hit play… and wished, at that very moment, earth would swallow him.

"_Nngh… ah…"_

There, on the screen, Hibari-san and he were having the hottest make-out session on YouTube.

"What… the…"

Hibari was holding him tightly by the waist, eyes closed, why he had his arms wrapped around his neck. He snow was falling, and it melted as soon as it touched their heated skin. Hibari's mouth travelled from his lips, to his neck, to his earlobe, sucking slightly, making a rather… exciting sound. Tsuna's hands clasped Hibari's coat tighter, moaning louder as a cold hand sneaked under his shirt…

"What is this!?"

Tsuna felt his nerve twitching, his hold on the mouse tightening. He looked behind him, to see Hibari-san… displaying mayor nosebleed.

"Hibari-san!" he exclaimed, scandalized. "What are you thinking about at a time like this?! This video has twenty thousand views!"

Hibari, wiping the blood away, closed his laptop shut. With a swipe of his arm, he cleaned his desk of all paperwork and the vase Kusakabe had made for him, and, as gently as his urgency allowed him, laid Tsuna on top of it.

"It somehow turns me on" he said, his voice a little hoarse. Before the brunet could protest, he bit down his tender lips, as his hands wandered down the other's shirt, eliciting a soft moan.

"Reborn will…! _Mhh…_ Pay…! _ohh_"

* * *

"…and why didn't you tell me I was the kid you saw?" he asked grumpily as he scrolled down his Facebook wall.

"I thought you didn't remember me" Yamamoto admitted, his voice muffled by Gokudera's shoulder. He was glad his silverette –yes, _his_ silverette –was in a good mood that day. It wasn't often that Gokudera would allow himself to let his guard down and allow Yamamoto to pull him into his lap and snuggle in front of the fireplace.

"Hn, whatever, guess it doesn't matter now…" Gokudera shrugged, not even pulling away when Yamamoto kissed his cheek.

While he was deleting friend requests from people he didn't now, a popping sound announced him he had a message. It was from Reborn-san, Tsuna's ex-tutor.

He clicked the name, curious, to see it was a link to YouTube. He clicked again, opening a new tab, and waited for the video to load. At first it showed a snowy cemetery, so he guessed it was one of those chain videos where the face of the girl in _The Exorcist_ would appear in the least expected moment, until…

"_Mmhh!"_

The sound alerted Yamamoto too, who looked up from his shoulder.

The video showed both of them in the cemetery… making out like there was no tomorrow.

"Holy… shit…"

One of Yamamoto's muscled arms was wrapped around his waist, while the other held him by the nape. Gokudera himself was holding onto Yamamoto's shirt, a heavy blush covering his cheeks and ears, while Yamamoto's tongue mapped his mouth.

"_Mhh… nnhh… ahh!"_

Was it him making all those sounds!?

He slowly turned around, his nerve twitching.

"Yamamoto… did _you_ uploaded this to YouTube?" he asked slowly.

"No…" the other responded with such a blank expression on his face Gokudera would have been worried hadn't he been busy seeing the twenty thousand views and the fifteen thousand likes the video had…

Until he felt a hot breath over his ear.

"But… you know…it kind of turns me on" Yamamoto whispered, trailing hot wet kisses down his neck. Gokudera shivered, feeling Yamamoto's hand sneak under his shirt and wander around his torso.

"Y-You idiot! Everyone… _ahh… _saw this crap!" he tried to protest, but all thoughts abandoned him as his raven pushed him down onto the floor, while taking his breath away.

* * *

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Giotto asked. Reborn just smirked, looking at the screen Alaude was currently glued to.

"They'll thank me later"

* * *

_The end._

* * *

_**Hello, everybody. Since this story was taking me so long to finish –how long had it been? Two months? -, I've decided this is going to be the last chapter. I had thought of writing about a jealous Cozart putting Alaude to test, to prove him worthy of going out with Giotto… but maybe I'll leave that for another time. **_

_**Anyway, thanks to all who have favorited, commented, followed and read this story, thank you very, very much. Please look forward to my next story! **_

_**As always, corrections, criticism and opinions are welcomed :)**_


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